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Making Bokashi – Update

After 2 weeks the Bokashi Mix is almost ready!

A couple weeks ago I wrote about my first attempt at making bokashi (which went very smoothly). As mentioned, Neal Foley (aka the ‘PodChef’) says two weeks is enough time for it to sit, so I decided to check it out this afternoon.

I’ve opened up the bucket containing the (ziploc) bags of bokashi once already, just out of curiosity. Interestingly enough, when I did so the first time the bags were ballooned out – likely due to all the carbon dioxide being released by the aerobic microbes while feasting on the molasses and consuming all the remaining oxygen. Today the bags are back to normal, so perhaps the CO2 is being consumed via a particular anaerobic pathway? Hmmm…need to research this a little more.

I was pleasantly surprised by the odour that came out of the bucket when I opened it up (ok, something just occurred to me – if there is odour, gas must be escaping from the bags – HAHA!). It was quite pungent, but not offensive at all – certainly NOTHING like some of the other mixtures I’ve allowed to go anaerobic! 😯 I’m sure this is all thanks to the particular mix of ‘friendly microbes’ that have populated the material.

The colour of the bokashi mix is quite a bit darker than when I first added it, again presumably resulting from the activities of my new microbe friends.

I’m sure my mix would be totally fine for use now (especially given the small quantity), but I think I’m going to let it sit for one more week before drying it, just to make sure I have some high-grade bokashi for my experimentation.
8)

[tags]bokashi, composting, compost, bokashi bucket, anaerobic, fermentation, kitchen waste, em, friendly microorganisms, effective microorganisms[/tags]

Written by Compost Guy on January 21st, 2008 with comments disabled.
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Get your own gravatar by visiting gravatar.com william
#1. October 29th, 2008, at 9:10 PM.

I’m not sure I understand the difference between drying it out vs. opening the box/bag above? Aren’t both exposing the material to air?

I am doing my mix according to Neal Foley’s recipe, but using rice bran. I found that the amt of water he recommended was way too wet and I had to add much more bran to make it reasonably dry (“holds into a ball, but crumbles at first touch”). Consequently I’m worried that I didn’t put enough molasses and EM per volume of the bran; I’m hoping that I just have to let it ferment longer for the colony to multiply. I am seeing the white fuzzy mold on top which I gather is a good sign.

I also open the box up and peel back a corner of the plastic bag cover to peek, hope I didn’t ruin it.

FWIW, the bokashi mix I got from EM America was very dark, and my currently fermenting mix is very pale. Probably a case of drying it out vs. having it wet.